Shock-absorber.



F. V. PHILLIPS.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I9. I9I4.

,134,223 Patented Apr. 6,1915.

I l, y

l a I? FRANCIS V. PHILLIPS, OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, i915.

Application led January 19, 1914. Serial No. 812,959.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANCIS V. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Orlando, in the county of Orange and State of Florida, haveinvented new and use ful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers, of whlch thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to shock absorbers for use on automobiles or othervehicles, its main object being to provide an eflicient device of simpleconstruction which will absorb shocks incident to violent compressionsor reactions of the vehicle springs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will permitthe vehicle springs to be freely compressed to a certain limit, butwhich will resist compression be yond such limit, and which will resistthe rebound from any degree of compression. Still another object of myinvention is to provide for readily adjusting the device so that it willresist compression of the springs at the point desired.

Vith these objects in View my invention consists in the featureshereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification: Figure 1is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is acentral section thereof on line 2 2 of Fig. l, the two arms of thedevice being in substantial alinement. Fig. 3 is a sectional view takenon line 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. l is a sectional view taken on line 4 ofFig. 2.

The shock absorber illustrated in the drawings comprises twosubstantially circular members A and B forming two sides of a closedreceptacle, the annular wall of this receptacle being formed by a flangeb on the member B. The member A is provided with a central hub a forminga bearing for two rings C and D, said hub being centrally perforated toreceive a bolt E, which bolt also passes through a central perforationto the member B, and which together with the nut e serves to pivotallyconnect the two members A and B together.

The member A is provided with an arm a,

and the member B with an arm b. These two arms are each provided attheir outer ends with ahole L2 bv means of which one of said arms may bepivotally secured to the body of the vehicle and the other pivotallysecured to the vehicle axle or running gear. The means by which thedevice is secured to the vehicle, and its particular location thereon isimmaterial to this invention, it being understood that it is or may beapplied to the vehicle like other similar devices.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the hub a of the member A isrecessed, as at f, for the reception of a ball F, said recess having itsrear wall slightly inclined so that when the members A and B are rotatedby a movement of the arms a and away from each other, the ball F will beforced outwardly against the ring D and operate to lock said ring to thehub a. When the members A and B are rotated in an opposite direction theball F will release its engagement with the ring D, this being a wellknown form of clutch which causes the ring D to travel with the member Awhen the latter is rotated in one direction, and leaves said member freeto rotate in the opposite direction independently of said ring. The ballF is backed by a small spring f which holds the ball F in rollingcontact with the ring D to insure prompt clutching action, as will bereadily understood. The ring D is normally engaged by a friction blockG, which is slidably mounted in a chambered extension g of the member B.Said block G is forced in frictional engagement with the ring D by meansof a strong spiral spring g mounted behind said block in said chamberedextension, the tension of said spring being adjusted by means of a screwg2. The screw g2 is tapped in the rear wall of the eX- tension g, andpresses against a disk or washer g4 which is interposed between saidscrew and the spring g as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. v

It will now be understood that when the springs of the vehicle arecompressed, as by a sudden olt, the two arms a and b will be movedtoward each other, and that when said arms start to move outwardly bythe recoil, the ball clutch F will operate to lock the ring D to themember A so that such outward movement will be resisted by the pressureof the friction block Gr against said ring D. The ring C, which is alsomounted on the hub a of the member A, is adjustably secured to saidmember by means of a screw 0 which passes through a slot 0 in the memberA, and which engages yone of a series of threaded holes c2 in the ringC, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The outer surface of the ring C isso formed that it will engage the friction block Gr at a predeterminedpoint in the relative rotation of the two members A and B, said ringbeing provided with a cam surface 03 which frictionally engages theblock G at a point in the relative rotation of the two members A and Bwhich is determined by the adjustment of the ring C withrespect to themember A. As shown in Fig. 2, the friction block G is made of a widthsuilicient to extend across both of the rings C and D, and is providedwith two bearing surfaces which are offset with relation to each other,one of which engages the ring D, and the other of which is adapted to beengaged by the cam surfaces c3 of the ring C.

The adjustment of the ring C with respect to the member A is determinedby the maximum load to be carried by the vehicle to which the device isapplied. After the device is secured to the vehicle, it is adjusted byloading the vehicle t`o the desired maximum load. Pressure on thefriction block G being released by turning the screw g2, the ring C isadjusted so that its cam surface 03 will engage said block. This isaccomplished by removing the connecting screw c and turning said ring bymeans of any small tool which will engage said ring through the slot c.When the ring is properly adjusted it is locked to the -member A bymeans of the screw c as already described. The screw g2 is now turneduntil pressure of the friction block G on the ring D is sufficient tohold the vehicle springs in their compressed condition after the removalof the maximum load. The screw g2 is now gradually retracted until thefrictional pressure is just suiicient to allowv the vehicle springs toopen or expand to their desired normal position.

When the vehicle springs are suddenlyv compressed, as for instance whenthe vehicle passes over a rock or other obstruction, excessivecompression is resisted by the cam surface ca on the ring C, coming incontact with thefriction block G, the two members of the spring beingthus prevented from coming in contact with each other, but it will benoted that moderate compression of the vehicle spring is not resisted.Any sudden recoil of the spring will be resisted by the ring D whichwill turn with the member A, against the friction block G whenever thetwo arms a and b of the device are moved outwardly by the rebound orrecoil of the vehicle springs, the frictional resistance being readilyregulated to suit requirements as already explained. It will also benoticed that the friction ring D is moved by the ball clutch F in onedirection only, so that a new surface is constantly being presented tothe friction block G. This insures an even wear on the entire surface ofthe friction ring D.

Having described my invention," fwhat I claim as new and desire tosecure by"Letters Patent, isf otally connected members, afriction/element carried by one of said members, and a kring pivotallysecured to the other of said members and surrounding their pivotalconnection, said ring being normally out of engagement with saidfrictional element and being adapted to engage therewith at apredetermined point in the relative movement of the two members.

2. A shock absorber comprising two pivotally connected members, a ringsurrounding the pivotal connection of said members,

, 8o l. A shock absorber comprising two ,piv-

a spring pressed friction block carried by" one of said members andadapted to frictionally engage the periphery of said ring, and a clutchcarried by the other of said members, said clutch being adapted toengage and lock said ring to said member,

when the two members are moved relatively' to each other in onedirection.

3. A shock absorber comprising two pivotally connected members, one ofwhich is provided with a hub, two rings mounted on Y said hub, lone ofsaid rings being adjustably secured to said hub carrying member andbeing provided with a cam surface, a clutch carried by said hub adaptedto lock the other ring thereto when the two members are moved relativelyto each other in one direction, a spring pressed friction block carriedby the other of said members, said block being normally in frictionalengagement with said last mentioned ring, and being adapted to befrictionally engaged by the cam surface of the first mentioned ring.

4. A shock absorber comprising two pivotally connected membersformingtwo sides of a closed receptacle, one of said members being providedwith a flange forming the peripheral wall of said receptacle, and theother of said members being provided with an inwardly projecting hub,the hanged member being also provided with a chambered extension, afriction block slidably mounted in said chambered extension, a springoperating to press said block toward said hub, a ring surrounding saidhub and frictionally engaging said block, aclutch carried by said huband adapted to lock said ring thereto when seid members are moved in onedirection relatively to each other, and a cam ring adjustably mounted onsaid hub and adapted to frctionally engage said block at a predeterminedpoint in the rela.- tive movements of said members in the oppostedirection.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tvvosubscribing Witnesses.

FRANCIS V. PHILLIPS.

IVitnesses GEO. N. PHILLIPS,

S. Y. WAY.

